Digital signage is one of the most feature-packed methods of out-of-home advertising and has become more accessible over the years. This increase in accessibility has allowed many small businesses to take advantage of features they’ve not had access to before. That is why we’ve put together this article, so new users of digital signage are aware of things to avoid. These things to avoid can occur in all venues/industries; hotels, cafes, coworking spaces, and even retail.

Hardware Choice

One of the most important things to avoid with digital signage is selecting incompatible, or underpowered hardware. The first thing to consider is the screen, in particular, the size and resolution. These factors are important and will have to be looked at on a case-by-case basis. After deciding on the screen that will be used, the next step is to procure a media player device.

To determine the best media player for your needs, you’ll need to consider a range of things. In particular, internet connectivity type, the CPU, output capabilities, and more. The main thing to avoid with this hardware choice is buying something that isn’t powerful enough to support the screen that’s been chosen. Our partners at Giada have an affordable range of media players to suit every digital signage need.

It is important to note that there are some screens available with built-in media players which can be a good option for some. Do be aware that these inbuilt players sometimes have hardware restrictions, and can be underpowered and unable to play UHD or HD video content. Users can also make use of tablets to act as digital signage media players, just ensure the operating system software is supported and up to date.

(For more information regarding the selection of a media player, contact our sales team!)

Software Choice

When it comes to making a software choice for digital signage, it is important to avoid software that doesn’t fit your needs. The main thing to consider is what you need it to do, and how you plan on accessing it. Thankfully, we at Doohly provide both media player software and a CMS software solution in an all-in-one package.

Media player software is what allows your device to show the content and play it how you specify. Content management systems (CMS) are what allow the user to control what content is played. With digital signage, CMS software enables you to upload content, create campaigns, and use external triggers to play specific content.

An important feature to look for in a good CMS product is the support for offline playback. Offline playback enables the device to download and store creatives locally and enables them to play without an internet connection. Well-implemented offline playback ensures that scheduled creatives won’t be interrupted at any stage. This is useful for devices that may occasionally lose internet connection, such as those on vehicles or underground.

Another important feature to be aware of when comparing CMS products is how content scheduling is offered. The two main scheduling methods are dynamic/automated and linear. Linear scheduling is where the user has to manually choose the order of campaigns, whilst dynamic scheduling uses predefined rules to automatically select the order of campaigns.

When setting up digital signage, it is important to be able to access the media player devices. To avoid physically accessing them every time (which may be hard with some installations), look at remote access tools. This software allows you to log into your media player from another device, such as a tablet, phone, or computer.

Relying On Static Content

One of the most common mistakes that new digital signage users make is reusing old, static content. To avoid making this mistake, it’s advised that new content is specifically created for digital signage. The biggest perk of digital signage is the ability to have content that is animated and contains motion. Digital content with motion receives 400% more views than static content, avoiding static content is a must.

Lack Of A Content Plan & Not Enough Dynamic Content

A lack of a content plan is completely avoidable, digital signage users should spend time creating a content schedule and plan. By putting a content plan in place, users ensure that relevant content is playing. This could mean time-accurate content such as happy hour deals or local community events.

Thanks to our integration with Canva, creating content is simple and easy. Avoid lacklustre, stale content, and reinvigorate digital signage with Doohly! Spending a couple of hours a week generating content is a surefire way to ensure viewers are captivated, and that a long-lasting positive impression is left.

One of the most unique features of digital signage is the ability to show dynamic content. Dynamic content refers to creative pieces that change based on external inputs. An example of this is if text, colour, or imagery are changed based on the number of people the screen detects viewing. This use of content has proven to be effective at getting people to talk about your brand, just look at Hjärtat.

Lack Of Support

It used to be quite hard to steer clear of digital signage software solutions that offered minimal customer support. Some providers have overly complicated pieces of software and offer very little documentation or support. Thankfully this can be avoided by using Doohly. We have public documentation easily accessible and can provide over the phone or email support when you need it. Doohly also offers training as needed when first signing up and can help cover your exact use case and situation.

There you have it, a few easy to avoid mistakes to help you get started with digital signage. Note that every situation will be unique and different, but keep these tips in mind, and getting started shouldn’t be an issue.

If you’re interested in getting started with digital signage, contact us today!